Sunday, 4 May 2014

Blood and tears as blasts rock Mombasa

Four people lost their lives after an explosion in Mombasa central
business district that also ripped apart a Chania Travellers bus,
shattering windows and mangling metal. The bus usually plies the
Thika-Mombasa-Malindi route. The blast also affected the rear section of
another bus that was parked nearby.

At least four people were killed last night and scores injured
when explosions rocked Mombasa as police heightened security in the
coastal town.

He said the blast was
set off by a hand grenade that was hurled at a group of people at the
Mwembe Tayari bus terminal as they waited for transportation to their
destination.

Eyewitnesses are conflicted as some say the grenade was hurled from a probox while others say it was from a motorcycle.

The
blast in the central business district also ripped apart a Chania
Travellers bus, shattering windows and mangling metal. The bus usually
plies the Thika-Mombasa-Malindi route.

The blast also affected the rear section of another bus that was parked nearby.

The other blast went off in Nyali near a popular resort, but no one was injured.

Nelson Marwa, The Mombasa county police commissioner said that two women and one man died on the spot.

The
blasts came at a time when police have heightened security over looming
threats from Al-Shabaab terrorists who have previously been blamed for
past explosions in the Coast and Nairobi.

Eye
witnesses and emergency rescue workers told the Sunday Nation that they
had counted at least three people who had succumbed to injuries from
the blast at the Kenol/Kobil petrol station opposite Coast Bus terminus.

SCORES INJURED

Police
and rescue workers rushed at least twenty two people to the Coast
General Provincial Hospital where one other person lost their life
raising the death toll to four.

Heavily armed police and emergency services rushed to the scenes of the blasts to rescue the injured and secure the area.

There
was confusion as crowds milled around the scene as emergency workers
rushed to the rescue. Mombasa County police commander Robert Kitur led
the security operation.

“We are aware
of two explosives in Mombasa county. We are already at the scenes and
there is no need to panic. Everything is under control,” said Mr Kitur.

The
second explosion went off at the Reef Beach Resort was said to have
been caused by a bag left behind by a man of Caucasian origin.

"The
man walked towards the beach leaving his bag and made as if to swim. He
however, surreptiously left the beach and the explosion happened soon
thereafter," said Mr. Marwa.

No one was injured however
the blast caused panic that was fuelled further by claims that other
public places in the city were targets for attacks.

Residents
stayed away from the usually bustling streets of Mombasa however Mr.
Marwa was quick to reassure the residents that their safety was assured
as they would tighten security.

"We will secure all bus
and matatu terminals starting Sunday to thwart any further attacks on
members of the publics. I urge all the residents to ignore th erumours
doing rounds and go about their normal business," he added.

This week, the government deployed 700 security personnel to the Coast to help deal with insecurity in the region.

Speaking
during a security meeting at the county commissioner’s boardroom in
Mombasa on Tuesday last week, the County Police Commander Kitur said the
officers include regular police, Administration Police and officers
from the General Service Unit.

GOVERNMENT EFFORTS

Mr Kitur commended the government for increasing the number of security officers at the Coast.

Mombasa
County commissioner Mr Nelson Marwa said apart from the deployment of
the additional security personnel, there are other security measures
being put in place.

These include
improvement of infrastructure, deployment of more officers to the new
police station at the Likoni Ferry channel and new scanners for the
Kenya Ferry Services to deal with insecurity at the channel.

“The
government has increased the number of police officers at the Coast
with some being those who recently graduated from the Kenya Police
College in Kiganjo, Administration Police College in Embakasi and GSU
recruits,” he said.

“We thank the
government for supporting us in terms of personnel. We have more than
700 officers on top of those we have in the region,” he added.

In
March the state of insecurity prompted President Uhuru Kenyatta to
dispatch his deputy William Ruto to Mombasa to meet with leaders and
security chiefs to work out ways of fighting back terrorism.

The
government also launched a major operation to weed out aliens, some of
whom are suspected to be supporting or working for terror networks.

The government is also grappling with extremist cleric who are accused of radicalising youth Muslims.

April 23, 2014: Two
policemen among four people killed in Nairobi after a suspicious car
that they had intercepted exploded as it was being taken to the Pangani
Police Station.

March 31, 2014: Six people are killed and dozens others seriously injured in blasts in Nairobi’s Eastleigh estate.

March 30, 2014:
A suspected terrorist dies and a Madrassa is destroyed when an
explosive device he was assembling prematurely goes off in Eastleigh,
Nairobi.

March 23, 2014:
Two gunmen enter a church in Mombasa and shoot at the congregation. Two
people die on spot while four others succumb to injuries in hospital
pushing the death toll to six.